Yorkshire tiger attack - latest: Man appears to 'bow down' to animal before fatal mauling

Yorkshire tiger attack - latest: Man appears to 'bow down' to animal before fatal mauling Witnesses to the horror incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park said the man who was mauled to death at the attraction's tiger enclosure appeared to 'bow down' to the animal Horrified witnesses to the fatal mauling of a man by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park say he appeared to "bow down" to the animal before he was attacked. Police and paramedics raced to the site, near Doncaster, at about 1.35pm on Saturday following reports that the man had jumped into the tiger enclosure. A video circulating on Facebook shows the victim sat next to the tiger before being bitten and clawed at as he appeared to try and communicate with the animal. He was heard shouting: "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!" Anthony Hunt, 22, was visiting the park and said: "It looked like a performance. He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area. He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger." The wildlife park is set to reopen at 9.45am today according to its website although it has not been confirmed whether visitors will be able to enter the tiger enclosure. Park bosses said Altai the tiger is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised. Key Events Man's final gesture to tiger before attack Witnesses have recalled the terrifying moment the man appeared to 'bow down' to the tiger after climbing into its enclosure. Pharmacy worker Scarlet Hogan, 21, saw the incident unfold. Ms Hogan recalled seeing the man appear to take selfies before “getting on the floor and starting to pray” after entering the pen. University graduate Anthony Hunt, 22, also witnessed the attack, he added: "It looked like a performance. He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing area. He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger. It was like he was waiting for the tiger." Mr Hunt added that he gestured towards the tiger in his final moments. He said: "He had his arms wide open like he was saying: 'Come here, tiger. Kill me.' Then the tiger came and started to attack him." Zoo hero 'tried to stop man leaping into tiger's enclosure' before mauling Senior Reporter Dan Warburton is at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. A visitor who watched the attack unfold said a woman tried to pull the man back onto the viewing bridge above the enclosure but "wasn't strong enough". Visitors described how the man pulled away from the woman and “jumped about 12ft" into the enclosure before being mauled to death. Park staff receiving 'specialist support' Yorkshire Wildlife Park has said that its staff are receiving specialist support following the horrific incident on Saturday. In a social media post yesterday (Sunday), the park said its sympathies were with the family and loved ones of the man who was killed and that "the staff team were deeply affected by events". The park's website says it is due to reopen today after it was evacuated following the attack on Saturday. It is not clear if the tiger enclosure will be open as normal. Onlookers left 'frozen' as man interacts with tiger One onlooker said she was left 'frozen' as she watched the man inside the enclosure. She said: “The man started praying to the tiger, bowing down to it – the tiger looked a bit confused. “Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all. He had arms wide open ready for the tiger to attack him. "It was quite bad. We were just stood there, frozen... the last thing we saw was the tiger’s jaw on his neck." Visitors 'not strong enough' to hold back man A visitor to the park reportedly tried to pull the man back towards the viewing platform, but he "pulled away from her" and made his way into the enclosure, according to a witness. They stated the woman "wasn't strong enough" to hold back the unnamed individual, and as a result he "pulled away from her, climbed down, and jumped about 12ft" into the area. Park set to reopen Monday According to the wildlife park's website the attraction is set to reopen on Monday. The park has been closed all weekend following the tragic incident but according to the calendar on the park's website it will open from 9.45am on Monday. 'Zookeeper was shooting the floor to scare off the tiger,' says visitor A man who was at the park with his girlfriend said he "froze" as the incident was unfolding. University graduate Anthony Hunt, 22, said gun shots rang out as the zookeeper shot the floor to scare the tiger away. "When we spoke to police we were told the man had passed away at the scene," he said. Speaking about the man's behaviour in the lead up to the attack, Anthony said: "He had air pods in and was listening to music and dancing." His girlfriend, Scarlett, 21, said as soon as they arrived at the zoo and parked their car, the man was "dancing". "We were just looking forward to our zoo day," she said. Anthony added: "Honestly, I have never froze before in my life and I just froze." 'The last thing we saw was the tiger on his neck,' says young couple A young couple have described the final moments of the man mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Anthony Hunt, 22, a university graduate, and Scarlet Hogan, 21, a pharmacy worker, were on a day out when tragedy struck. They said a woman tried to drag the man back onto the zoo's viewing platform, but he got past her and dropped 12ft-15ft to the floor of the enclosure, which was quite soft because of the rain. Anthony said: "He got down where everyone could see him in the main viewing Area. He was on all fours, praying and bowing down to the tiger." After the man was attacked, "he started to fight back and screamed," Anthony said. "It was like he was just detached from reality. He started to fight back when the tiger attacked. The last thing we saw was the tiger was on his neck." 'There's pretty much less than 1% chance of a survival,' expert says An expert animal keeper says the man who entered the tiger enclosure "stood no chance" of survival. "You can't say the tiger was being malice," Reece Oliver told Sky News. "But what we have to think is, the tiger is 200 kilos. If it really wanted to kill him, it could've probably killed him in ten seconds. "I don't think it knew what it was going to do, because the only thing that goes into that enclosure normally, would be enrichment toys or food. "So I think he was probably just playing, using his predatory instinct, seeing what it was - and unfortunately, it ended up being a fatal attack." Staff at park receiving specialist support Staff at the park who witnessed Saturday's fatal attack are receiving specialist support, the zoo has said. It comes after zookeepers reportedly fired shots into the air in a bid to scare the tiger away and stop the mauling, witnesses said. In a statement on Sunday, Yorkshire Wildlife Park said: We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life. The park will be closed today and the staff team who were deeply affected by events will receive specialist support. 'We knew something serious happened' One visitor said they knew a serious incident had unfolded after seeing staff running towards one section of the park before an air ambulance appeared. The witness said: As we got to the other side of the park, we saw multiple staff running towards that side of the park, then the police arrived, followed by the air ambulance arriving, so we knew something serious happened. What we know about the victim The victim was pronounced dead at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday after being attacked by the tiger inside its enclosure. Police have been able to contact his family, but have not made any details about his identity public. According to local reports, the man is believed to be aged in his 20s, although this detail has not been confirmed by police. It is unclear why the man entered the tiger pen during his visit. 'I genuinely think he just wanted to play with the tiger' One visitor said she believed the man "genuinely wanted to play with the tiger" and "wasn't aware of the danger" when he entered the pen on Saturday afternoon. The witness said: We had visited the park with our daughter and the tiger walkway was the last part for us before heading back to the exit. The man was walking up and down the walkway and then came and stood close to us, kicked the pram a couple of times (not intentionally, I think he just wasn't aware and excited to see the tigers). He asked a stranger to take a photo of him with the tigers in the background. I genuinely think he just wanted to play with the tiger and wasn't aware of the danger he was putting himself into. Woman who took final photo of man killed by tiger speaks out A woman who took a photo of the man shortly before he was mauled to death has described how he was dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure before entering it. Del Taylor, who was visiting the park with her boyfriend, was approached by the young man, who asked her: "Can you grab a shot of myself with the tiger?" "He was completely alone," Del told The Sun, adding: At first he was dancing on the bridge overlooking the enclosure. He ended up standing next to me. My partner was recording the tiger and you can hear me having this interaction. You can hear him asking for a photo. I took a couple of him with his back towards the enclosure. I positioned the camera so I could get Altai in it with him. The man then fell 12ft into the enclosure, where he was attacked and killed by Altai, a 30 stone Amur tiger. He was heard saying: "No, no, no" and "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop" as the animal grabbed him by his neck. Police said the man suffered "serious injuries" before he was pronounced dead at the scene. Tickets remain on sale for public to visit park on Monday Tickets remain on sale for the public to visit Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Monday, according to the park's website. It comes after the site was closed all weekend following Saturday's fatal attack. Desperate zoo hero 'tried to stop man leaping into enclosure' before he was mauled to death A desperate zoo-goer tried to stop a man from jumping into a tiger's enclosure before he was mauled to death, it emerged today. The man, who is yet to be named, was reportedly dancing with his mobile phone and wearing Apple AirPods before he scaled the fence at Yorkshire Wildlife Park shortly after 1.30pm on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said he posed for a photo with the big cat in the background just moments before leaping from a viewing platform. The Amur tiger, named Altai, then attacked him as he sat on the floor and dragged him away. Brave rangers who fired warning shots and "did everything they could" to stop the horror on Saturday afternoon have been offered "specialist support". Read more: Desperate zoo hero 'tried to stop man leaping into tiger's enclosure' before he was mauled to death Rangers 'did everything they could' to stop fatal tiger attack Brave rangers who fired warning shots "did everything they could" to stop the fatal attack on Saturday afternoon. They have since been offered "specialist support". Yorkshire Wildlife Park said that Altai the tiger will not be euthanised following the mauling. A spokesman said: We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following [Saturday's] tragic incident. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life. The park will be closed while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support. Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident. 'Thoughts will all those affected by tragic incident,' says Doncaster East MP Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, said he was "deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident" at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. In a statement shared to Facebook, he said his thoughts are with "all of those affected" by the tragedy and thanked emergency services for their speed and professionalism. 'The keepers are all distraught' Animal ranger at the zoo Charlotte Pywell said yesterday's fatal tiger attack has left the keepers "distraught". She said: I was not there. I don’t know who the guy was or what made him jump. It was not the tigers fault at all. It was just something else to play with. The keepers are all distraught. It was not a very nice day. Tiger grabbed hold of man as he 'shouted for help,' says witness A woman who watched the man enter the tiger enclosure says he began "shouting for help" as the animal grabbed hold of him. The visitor said there were around 15 to 20 people on the raised walkway before staff quickly evacuated the area. The man "jumped in and crawled in front of the tiger, where the tiger was perched and just lay there," the witness told the BBC. She said members of the public were "confused, like what on earth's going on?" "I just know some man was obviously trying to bang on the fence to try and deter the tiger away, but it obviously wasn't doing anything," she said. Tragedy unfolded at park's 'Land of the Tigers' habitat The man was killed at Yorkshire Wildlife Park's tiger enclosure, which opened in 2011. Dubbed the 'Land of the Tigers', the area includes a 300-yard raised walkway that allows visitors to watch the big cats roam woodlands and grasslands or play in a waterfall pool, according to a description on its website. The enclosure is home to two Amur tigers, including Altai, the tiger involved in yesterday's attack. Evacuation was 'frightening and confusing,' says visitor A woman has described "frightening and confusing" scenes as visitors were told to leave the park on Saturday afternoon. She said: At first, we were all scared and confused because we had no idea what was going on. Different routes had been closed off, and staff were positioned around the park directing visitors where to go. The scariest part was not knowing what was happening. 'We saw the man not long before it happened, it's incredibly sad' A visitor at the park recalled seeing the man not long before he was mauled to death. "We saw the poor man in the hut part between the two tigers and noticed him with his earpods too, not long before it happened," the witness said. "It's incredibly sad, and people really do need to show more compassion [...] why anyone would film is beyond me. "The park handled it really well and ensured everyone stayed calm when leaving. Such a sad situation." Woman 'tried to pull man back up' before he 'jumped 12ft into enclosure' A visitor who watched the attack unfold said a woman had tried to pull the man back onto the viewing bridge above the enclosure but "wasn't strong enough". The man "pulled away from her, climbed down, and jumped about 12ft" into the pen, the visitor said. He then "knelt in front of the tiger," who didn't immediately attack and was initially just circling the man. The witness added: But then the young man started yelling at the tiger and waving his finger at him, yelling 'no,' and the tiger grabbed him by the neck. It all happened very fast. The tiger staff were in there quickly, and fired two shots to the ground to scare the tiger away from the man. Tiger who mauled man to death pictured The tiger who attacked and killed a man at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday is one of two endangered species at the site. Altai the Amur tiger arrived at the park from Norway in March 2025. He was described as a "nice and calm tiger" who "loves his training, eating and especially enjoys playing in the water outside". On Sunday morning, the park confirmed Altai would not be euthanised following the tragedy, adding that he is "safe and well". Man 'posed for photo with tiger' before 'climbing into' pen where he was killed The man who was mauled to death had posed for a picture with the tiger in the background before climbing into the enclosure, according to witnesses. The park was evacuated after police were called at around 1:35pm yesterday to reports of a man having entered the pen. An air ambulance and doctor rushed to the scene, but the man was later pronounced dead at the park, South Yorkshire Police said. Attack reported by media outlets outside UK The attack has attracted significant attention from media outlets outside the UK. South Yorkshire Police previously said: "We are aware of videos circulating online and we would encourage people not to share this footage." The force said the man's family had been informed and was being supported by specialist officers. As a reminder, police have not released details of the victim's identity. Yorkshire Wildlife Park closed today The scene at Yorkshire Wildlife Park was eerily quiet today as the site remained closed following yesterday's fatal mauling. Police are yet to release the name of the man who tragically lost his life. The park has confirmed the tiger involved will not be put down. Tickets are available to buy for tomorrow, suggesting the park will open again on Monday. Staff at park are receiving specialist support after tiger attack Zookeepers who witnessed the fatal tiger attack yesterday are being supported, Yorkshire Wildlife Park said. The park said today: “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life. "The park will be closed today and the staff team who were deeply affected by events will receive specialist support.” Man killed by tiger was seen 'pacing around with his headphones in' Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton, Wirral, had visited the park with her boyfriend and filmed the tiger moments before the attack. Speaking to the BBC, she described seeing a man by the tiger enclosure "pacing around with his headphones in". A few minutes later, she saw the same man had "climbed up onto the barriers".